One year my youngest son, Paul, told me not to thaw the turkey, he was going to go goose hunting.The day before Thanksgiving, before the sun was even awake, he headed out to hunt.

Indeed, he DID bring home a goose! I told him I'd cook it when it showed up in my kitchen sink plucked and gutted; mama doesn't clean game.All smiles, he happily went outside with his hunting knife and the big bird.

An hour later, a scrawny bird carcass lay naked in my kitchen sink. The 'big'goose had been mostly feathers! I did cook the bird; it was tough, stringy and absolutely inedible! We had a ham as a 'side' dish.

Paul had a great sense of humor; laughing and joking with us about the "lame game". It was crazy how fabulous that bird had looked compared to how pitiful and tough it was when it was on the plate!

Sin is like a wild goose. When you first see it, it's all big, fluffy and tempting. Satan knows that our eyes are easily deceived! (II Corinthians 11:14) But, when you get down to reality; there's nothing but tough gristle.

When we read the Bible regularly, we are familiar with satan's tricks and not so easily duped. (II Corinthians 2:11) The Holy Spirit is faithful to whisper warnings to our heart so that even when our eyes are tempted, our heart knows better! (John 16:8-15)

Satan works hard to make us stumble; he hates the relationship we have available through Christ. When we are faithful in Bible study and daily conversation (prayer) with our Lord, we are less likely to yield to temptation. Those (hopefully) rare times we do stumble, God is faithful to help us stand back up. (I John 1:7-10)

The Word says that the works of satan through our flesh are obvious. Make time to read the Bible so even subtle sins like anger and envy are easily recognized.

Galatians 5:19-23 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I'm a wife, mother, a grandmother and I love to write! I'm a retired Pastor's Secretary and a former Assistant Kid's church Pastor.

I write Children's material and devotions. I love to use 'real life', especially the exploits of children, to illustrate scriptural truth.www.rubberontheroad.org